NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain and
PCB
chairman Ramiz Raja staunchly defended the opening partnership of
Mohammad Rizwan
and
Babar Azam
despite Pakistan's disappointing performance in the ICC Men's
T20 World Cup
2024, where they faced an early elimination after losses to USA and India, respectively.
Speaking on his YouTube channel "
Ramiz Speaks
", Raja expressed unwavering support for the duo, stating, "The Rizwan-Babar opening pair—we kept insisting on removing them without any real reason.
I know there is nothing else after them. When there's nothing, if not them, don’t mess with what is already working."
Raja emphasized the duo's crucial contributions, highlighting their roles in Pakistan's journey to the final of previous tournaments. "Their techniques might need some fine-tuning, but you can't split them up because they took us to the final in Australia and the Asia Cup—it was these two who did that," he asserted. "So, what led to these doubts about them? (Bohot zyada khich khich hua hain) There has been too much unnecessary fuss, and that's why we saw these results in the World Cup."
Fall From Grace | Pakistan Cricket's Turbulent Journey | Ramiz Speaks
During the T20 World Cup 2024, Babar Azam scored 122 runs from four matches, while Mohammad Rizwan amassed 110 runs in the same number of innings.
Following Pakistan's early exit from the tournament, both Babar Azam and the team as a whole have faced significant criticism from various quarters. The scrutiny has been particularly intense, questioning the team's strategy and individual performances.
Looking ahead, Pakistan's schedule includes challenging fixtures. They are set to host a five-Test series against Bangladesh and England, followed by a white-ball tour of Australia. Subsequently, the team will embark on a tour to South Africa, where they will compete in a comprehensive series featuring both Test and white-ball formats.
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